Why is my ping so high all of a sudden: 7 Common causes of game lag

“Why is my ping so high all of a sudden?” is such a troublesome concern to online gamers.

Ping latency is always crucial, especially when it comes to FPS games or any games that require fast responsiveness.

For online gaming, the lower the ping, the better.

High ping can ruin your gaming experiences and result in lag, while lower ping means smoother gameplay.

Not sure why is my ping so high in League of Legends or other games.

Check out this post to find out the underlying causes and fixes!

Why is my ping so high all of a sudden in online gaming?

Some first words

Yep, no one wants high ping while gaming.

Even if you have high ping, don’t worry too much.

There are many quick solutions and tips on how to improve ping in games.

For sure, if you determine the real reason for your high ping, you’ll know how to improve it, generally, and how to reduce it in games, particularly.

But to be honest, various things can be the causes of poor ping rates.

Also, there are specific fixes to each cause.

Read on more to get the details!

What are the causes and fixes to a sudden high ping?

High ping or Low ping

As previously mentioned, it’s clear that a low ping is better than a high ping.

But that’s it?

No!

You need to know further than that…

High ping vs low ping

Ping levels is denoted by the terms "low ping" and "high ping."

Still, you don't always need low ping to make the most of your Internet connection.

Low ping levels are unnecessary for everyday use.

Yet, they’re essential for time-sensitive applications like competitive gaming.

Ping may cause a phenomenon known as packet loss.

An informational unit known as a packet is used as the main means of data transmission across the Internet.

The packets carrying the messages are dropped and lost to time forever when a server or your machine takes too long to react to a message.

That’s how the Internet works and instantly adjusts to any congestion problems.

Additionally, since a higher ping would make it take longer for you to react to the message, packet loss would happen.

But once more, this only becomes a problem while playing a video game or making a video chat.

It’s largely unproblematic when doing something similar, like watching a movie.

Avoid getting high ping while playing online games

Why is my Internet ping so high

Following are some common reasons for “why is my ping suddenly so high?” and relevant fixes. Cau

Let’s take a look!

What causes high ping and how to fix it?

A high number of devices connected to the network

Asking your family or roommates to cease using the Internet while you're playing games online may be challenging if you share a WiFi connection with them.

Multiple devices connected and using the same network at a time use up your Internet bandwidth together.

The more devices connected, the more bandwidth is required.

Many devices connected to your network are bad

Inadequate bandwidth is one of the causes of high ping.

So, if your network and your router have to support too many devices at once, your ping is likely to suffer.

Fixes:

It may be beneficial to have fewer devices connected to the WiFi. You may try to play a game anytime your family members are out of the house. Alternatively, you could use an Ethernet cable to connect your device to the router. This should significantly reduce your ping, provided that your router is not the issue.

Background applications and programs

Programs and applications running in the background on your device also consume bandwidth.

However, that is not what we desire.

Instead, we want the game to have as much bandwidth as feasible.

Several apps may chug the Internet in the background

Some things using up a lot of network traffic and causing a higher ping could be.

• Firmware update
• Software update
• Cloud upload
• Backup services
• Huge file downloads
• Monitoring tools
• TV streaming services

Fixes:

To see if any of the aforementioned services are running, check your devices. Then, close those that are unnecessary to improve your ping.

Slow Internet connection speeds

Your Internet speeds can also affect the ping latency.

Higher Internet speeds allow you to send and receive data quicker, thus decreasing the ping time.

But if you have lesser download and upload speeds, higher pings can be expected.

Slow Internet speed may cause high ping

Notably, slower Internet speeds and higher ping are likely to occur during Internet peak hours.

Fixes:

Check the speed of your Internet. Using an  Internet speed test like Gospeedcheck.com can help determine your bandwidth. If your bandwidth is slow, see if other devices connected to the same network are experiencing a similar problem. If their bandwidth is somewhat comparable, look at other solutions.

Distance from the game server

If the game server is geographically far away from your location, then pinging it will give you a high ms value.

It’s since data requires more time to move between your device and the server.

Being far from the game server is unfavored

Please remember that the closer the distance between you and the server, the lesser the ping.

Well, that might be the reason “why is my lol ping so high” or “why is my ping so high but my Internet is good” in gaming!

Fixes:

You must locate the server that is nearest to your present location and register there. Fortunately, the names of gaming servers typically include their precise location, making it simple to locate the closest one. To get assistance with account migration, you can also get in touch with the game's player support staff.

Wireless connections

Wireless connection uses radio wave signals to transfer the data through the air.

Since they’re easily affected by several factors such as wireless interference, distance, or physical obstructions, they seem to be less reliable than wired ones.

Other factors can easily impact WiFi

That’s why slower Internet speeds and poorer pings can result from the use of a wireless Internet connection.

Fixes:

Go for an Ethernet cable rather than a WiFi Direct ethernet cable connection prevents all interferences and guarantees the fastest speed possible.

Distance from the router

The signal strength of WiFi (wireless connection) can get bad significantly due to things like wireless interference, distance, or physical obstructions.

It’s worth noting that the farther the distance between the router and your device, the worse the connection.

The router position affects your ping rate

Wireless interference and physical obstructions like walls, floors, etc can interrupt or even block WiFi signals, causing increases in ping time.

Fixes:

Move your console or computer nearer to your router You might try changing where you play if there is no way to move the router. You could, for instance, put your console at a different angle.

Internet Service Provider (ISP)

There is a likelihood that it may possibly be an issue with your ISP.

Your Internet connection passes through the servers of the ISP you have a contract with, which is one of the crucial points.

Your ISP’s quality can be a cause for high ping

Your ping may therefore rise if a problem occurs where their servers are unable to reply to queries in a timely manner.

Fixes:

If there is an issue at your ISP's end, or if they can offer any assistance, call them. To identify the issue, you can also request that your ISP send an agent to examine the network and computer configurations.

Other causes

Along with the above reasons, other things like outdated routers, outdated devices, and more can also cause the ping to get high.

In these circumstances, try if these tips can help you:

• Restart your network devices
• Replace your router
• Upgrade your broadband package
• Use a gaming VPN
• Enable game mode

Read also: How to reduce ping in League of Legends?